Pool cover box apparatus and methods

ABSTRACT

A method for forming a pool cover box to contain a pool cover assembly for covering a swimming pool is provided herein that includes forming a plurality of sections of substantially identical unitary molded plastic members, coupling the sections together to form an elongated box with two sides, a bottom, an open top and at least one open end, and fastening at least one end piece to the box to close at least one open end.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/701,645 filed on Nov. 4, 2003 and thus claims priority thereto.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to swimming pools, and, moreparticularly, to pool cover box apparatuses and methods.

BACKGROUND

Swimming pool covers are often used for keeping the water free of trash,to shield the water from sunlight that could degrade protectivechemicals in the water and for other purposes. Automatic pool covers areoften preferable over manually-operated covers, because the cover can beeasily extended when the pool is not in use and retracted during use. Inmost cases, a pool cover box is located at one end of the pool to holdthe cover, motor, winding reel and cable.

FIG. 1 shows a generalized schematic of a swimming pool 10 having a pooldeck 12 and coping walls 14 surrounding the pool 10. A pool cover 16extends from a pool cover assembly 18 in a pool cover box 20 disposed atone end of the pool 10. A leading edge bar 22 at the front edge of thepool cover 16 rides in a track encapsulation 24 along the interior wallsof the pool 10. Pool cover assembly 18 includes a pool cover motor 21and a cover wind-up cylinder 26. When the pool 10 is not in use, leadingedge bar 22 pulls cover 16 from pool cover box 18 across the length ofswimming pool 10. To use the swimming pool 10 the cover 16 is retractedby the pool cover assembly 18 into a cover assembly box 20 causingleading edge bar 22 to also retract into the assembly box 20.

FIG. 2 shows a prior art pool cover assembly 18 and pool cover box 20 incross-section. A bracket assembly 30 is mounted to the back wall 32 ofbox 20 to support a lid 34 mounted over a trough 35 in the box 20. Areel 36 is disposed in the trough 35 of box 20 to roll up or unwind thepool cover 16 as it retracts or extends through a space 38.

Prior pool cover boxes have been made in several varieties, such asconcrete boxes poured in place or wooden boxes, usually constructed onsite. A concrete box is very expensive to make, since it must be formedand poured on location. Also, as a plastic pool cover is extended andretracted relative to the pool and the box, it rubs against parts of theconcrete box, wearing the pool cover prematurely. A wooden box isextremely heavy and difficult to maneuver into place. Furthermore, awooden box tends to deteriorate and warp in the weather, requiringrepair and replacement. Metal boxes have also been constructed, but theweight involved makes such boxes cumbersome and expensive.

SUMMARY

In one implementation of the present disclosure, a box apparatus isprovided for containing a pool cover assembly to cover a swimming pool,comprising an elongated plastic box.

In another implementation, a box apparatus is provided for containing apool cover assembly to cover a swimming pool. The box comprises aplurality of sections of substantially identical unitary molded plasticmembers, a plurality of coupling elements to couple the sectionstogether to form an elongated box with two sides, a bottom, an open top,at least one open end, and an end piece fastened to the box to close theopen end.

In another implementation, a method is provided for forming a pool coverbox to contain a pool cover assembly for covering a swimming pool,comprising forming an elongated plastic box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned features and other features and advantages of thisdisclosure will become more apparent and the disclosure will be betterunderstood by reference to the following description of an exemplaryimplementation taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a generalized schematic view of a pool showing the location ofa pool cover assembly and pool cover box;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional pool coverbox and cover assembly;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pool cover box according to oneimplementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a front portion of the pool cover boxshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a back portion of the pool cover boxshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the pool cover box shown in FIG.3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom of the pool cover box shownin FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a partial plan view showing the use of a splice piece inassembling sections of the pool cover box shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing partially assembledsections of the pool cover box shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the assembled sections shown inFIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view showing reinforcement of theassembled sections shown in FIG. 9.

Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers may designatesimilar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The examples hereinillustrate selected implementations of the disclosure in certain forms,and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope ofthe disclosure in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, perspective views are shown of a poolcover box 40 according to an implementation of the present disclosure.Looking first at FIG. 3, pool cover box 40 is a thermoplastic molded boxhaving sides 41 and 42 and inside surfaces, including bottom 44, formedfrom the same molded plastic piece. Box 40 may be made of any moldablethermoplastic material, such as ABS or polyethylene and may have athickness of approximately one quarter inch. Box 40 may be composed ofmultiple sections that are separately molded and then fastened together,as will be discussed later. Although the length varies greatly, it islikely that box 40 may be in the range of 16-24 feet long, comprisingsections of 8 feet or 4 feet, which may be cut to whatever specificlength may be needed, as discussed later. The box may be about 14 inchesdeep by 14 inches wide. A plurality of ribs 46 are spaced along thelength of box 40, each rib 46 running transversely from side 41 to thebottom 44 of box 40.

End pieces 52 and 54 are coupled to walls 41 and 42 at opposite ends ofthe pool cover box 40. End piece 52 is formed with a lip 55 to form partof a frame structure 51 extending around the periphery of end piece 52.An enclosure member 53 is recessed from frame structure 51 and closesoff the end of the pool cover box 40.

As shown in FIG. 4, elongated support members 47 and 48 runlongitudinally along the sides 41 and 42 of the box 40. Support members47 and 48 may be formed with sections of hollow square metal tubing 49and 50 which are molded into the sides 41 and 42 of pool cover box 40 toprovide strength and to maintain the integrity of the pool cover box 40.Tubing 49 and 50 may be single pieces each running the length of asection of the pool cover box 40. Tubing 49 and 50 may be one inch bytwo inches in transverse profile and may extend the length of a section,which could be four or eight feet long. The plastic material formingsides 41 and 42 is wrapped around the metal tubing 49 and 50 andattached to the outside of sides 41 and 42. Metal tubing 49 and 50 alsoprovides a solid material on which to attach brackets and other membersneeded to dispose lids over the cover box.

FIG. 4 is a close-up partial perspective view of pool cover box 40showing end piece 52 in more detail. Frame structure 51 forms a hexagonor a rough U-shape with a top having a width which is approximately thesame as the width of the pool cover box. As used herein and in theappended claims, U-shape shall be broadly understood to mean any shapewhich includes two side portions and a bottom. Enclosure member isrecessed from structure 51. End piece 52, as well as end piece 54 (FIG.5) are sized and shaped to conform to the inner shape of the pool coverbox 40. Accordingly, end pieces 52 and 54 can be moved along the lengthof box 40 to provide whatever custom length of the box may be needed.After an end piece 52 or 54 has been moved, any excess portion of thebox 40 (not shown) can be removed by cutting off that portion. A lip 56at the top of end piece 52 adds strength to the piece.

FIG. 5 shows end piece 54 in more detail. End piece 54 is substantiallyidentical to end piece 52 and conforms to the size and shape of theinner dimensions of box 40. Accordingly, piece 54 may also be movedalong the length of box 40 to provide whatever length may be desired.The excess part of the box (not shown) may be cut off or simply leftalone. End piece 54 also has a top lip 56 and an external framestructure (not shown) substantially identical to structure 51, toprovide strength to end piece 54.

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of box 40 showing the bottom 44 and insidesurfaces 58 and 59 of side 41. Ribs 46 are spaced along the length ofbox 40 and run transversely across surfaces 58 and 59 and a portion ofbottom 44. Ribs 46 add strength to the sides 41, 42 and the innersurface of the bottom 44 of pool cover box 40. Ribs 46 are similarlydisposed on the inside surfaces of side 42 (not shown).

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing part of side 42 and theoutside 45 of bottom 44. Ribs 46 are also apparent on the outside ofpool cover box 40. An elongated flap 49 runs below support member 48 andis integral with the material used to form the pool cover box 40. Flap49 is the extended portion of plastic that extends around metal tube 50to form support member 48. Screws 43 extend through side 42 and flap 49to secure end piece 52.

FIG. 8 is a partial plan view showing part of a section 70 of the poolcover box. Sides 72 and 74 include elongated support members 76 and 78,substantially the same as support members 47 and 48 shown in FIG. 3.Although not shown, support members 76 and 78 include hollow squaremetal tubing similar to tubing 49 and 50 shown in FIG. 3. In order tocouple section 70 to an adjoining section (not shown), channel members80 and 82 are inserted into the hollow metal tubing in support members47 and 48. Channel members 80 and 82 may be U-shaped metal members sizedto fit inside of the hollow metal tubing (not shown). Channel members 80and 82 may be about 18 inches long and may be made of channel-shapedsteel.

Referring now to FIG. 9, section 70 is shown in partially completedassembly with an adjoining section 90 of pool cover box. Channel members80 and 82 have been inserted into the hollow metal tubing (not shown) ofelongated support members 86 and 88. Accordingly, channel members 80 and82 function to splice the adjoining sections 70 and 90 together.

FIG. 10 is a plan view, showing sections 70 and 90 joined together.Sections 70 and 90 may be joined together in a butt joint. Only a faintline for a joint 92 can be seen where sections 70 and 90 abut. The box40 may be made watertight by taping, caulking or otherwise sealing thejoint 92. Selective water tightness may be desirable in order to drainwater out of the box 40 only at selected drains, thereby preventingwater seeping into areas where water might be injurious. Likewise,making the box watertight may be desirable to keep water from seepinginto box 40, thereby causing rust or deterioration in the pool coverassembly.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the bottom 94 of sections 70 and 90. The joint92 may likewise be taped, caulked or otherwise sealed from the outsideof the box 40. Moreover, the coupling between sections 70 and 90 may bestrengthened by attaching a channel member 96 to bottom 94 so as toextend longitudinally along bottom 94 across joint 92. Other channelmembers (not shown) may be coupled on the bottom 94 transversely aroundthe joint to strengthen the coupling of adjoining sections. A pluralityof screws or other fasteners 98 are connected to the undersides ofsupport members 76 and 86, near the joint 92 to secure the channelmember 80 relative to the support members 76 and 86 (see FIG. 9).Similarly, screws (not shown) are connected to the undersides of supportmembers 78 and 88 (not shown) to secure the channel member 82 relativeto the support members 78 and 88.

Fabrication of the pool cover box of the present disclosure is carriedout by conventional vacuum form processes. The entire pool cover box ofthe present disclosure can be fabricated in a single process, includingforming the support members with the hollow steel tubes therein.Assembly of adjoining sections may require only a few minutes ofassembly time, and an entire pool cover box may be fully assembled in amatter of minutes, rather than hours required to fabricate prior artpool cover boxes.

It should be understood that other types of plastic fabrication of thepool cover box fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus,the subject pool cover box may also be made from vacuum molded sectionsthat are individually formed and then fastened together. Moreover, thepool cover box may also be made by injection molding the plastic box, inone or more sections and then fastening the sections together. Othersuch plastic fabrication methods may be used to make a pool cover boxwith the scope of the present disclosure.

The apparatus and methods described above provide a number of advantagesover prior art pool cover boxes. The thermoplastic pool cover box ismuch more light-weight and portable than prior boxes. One eight footsection could easily be lifted and positioned where needed. In contrast,a metal or wood box of comparable size might weigh two to three times ormore than the present box. The pool cover box of the present disclosuremay be assembled in sections of 4 feet, 8 feet or may even be providedin 2 feet increments. In addition, the pool cover box may be furtheradjusted in length by moving one or both of the ends.

In addition, the pool cover box of the present disclosure is relativelyeasy and fast to fabricate, being manufactured in a single vacuum formmolding process. Further, the present pool cover box, being made of athermoplastic material, is durable and impervious to weather. Moreover,the thermoplastic material of the pool cover box does not abrade orprematurely wear out the pool cover. The elongated support membersrunning along the sides of each section of the box provide substantialrigidity and strength. Further, the channel members functioning assplices within the hollow steel members provide strength to the couplingsections, as do the channel members on the underside of the box attachedacross adjoining sections of the box. The waterproof nature of the poolcover box of the present disclosure keeps stray water from seeping intothe box and prevents water from flowing out, except at specified drains.

While this disclosure has been described as having a preferred design,the present disclosure can be further modified within the spirit andscope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended tocover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using itsgeneral principles. Further, this application is intended to cover suchdepartures from the present disclosure as come within known or customarypractice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fallwithin the limits of the appended claims.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A method for forming a pool cover box to contain apool cover assembly for covering a swimming pool, comprising: (a)forming a plurality of sections of substantially identical unitarymolded plastic members, (b) coupling the sections together to form anelongated box with two sides, a bottom, an open top and at least oneopen end, and (c) fastening at least one end piece to the box to closeat least one open end.
 22. The method of claim 21, comprising formingthe end pieces from plastic.
 23. The method of claim 21, comprisingshaping the end pieces to conform to the interior of the sections. 24.The method of claim 23, comprising moving the end pieces along thesections to be positioned where desired along the pool cover box. 25.The method of claim 21, comprising coupling an elongated support memberalong a side of the pool cover box.
 26. The method of claim 25,comprising forming the elongated support member with an elongated hollowtube therein.
 27. The method of claim 25, comprising coupling theelongated support members of sections that are adjoining each other. 28.The method of claim 27, comprising coupling at least one of the sidesand the bottoms of sections that are adjoining each other.
 29. Themethod of claim 21, comprising forming the plurality of sections bymolding thermoplastic material.
 30. The method of claim 21, comprisingforming the plurality of sections in a substantially U-shaped form. 31.The method of claim 21, comprising forming the sections of differentlengths to accommodate the size of the pool cover assembly.
 32. Themethod of claim 21, comprising sealing the sections and end piecestogether to form a substantially waterproof pool cover box, except forthe open top.
 33. A method for forming a pool cover box to contain apool cover assembly for covering a swimming pool, comprising forming anelongated plastic box.
 34. The method of claim 33, further comprisingforming the box in a substantially U-shaped form.
 35. The method ofclaim 33, further comprising forming the box from molded thermoplasticmaterial.
 36. The method of claim 33, further comprising substantiallysealing the box, except for an open top.
 37. The method of claim 33,further comprising coupling an elongated support member runningsubstantially along the length of the box.
 38. The method of claim 37,further comprising reinforcing the elongated support members with steeltubing.
 39. The method of claim 33, further comprising forming theelongated plastic box from a plurality of separate plastic sectionscoupled together.
 40. The method of claim 33, further comprisingcoupling the separate plastic sections using splice members.
 41. Themethod of claim 33, further comprising coupling a plurality of endpieces to the plastic sections.
 42. The method of claim 33, comprisingforming the pool cover box using a vacuum form process.
 43. The methodof claim 33, comprising forming the pool cover box using an injectionmold process.